Tell Me a Story
by Things in Ink
Summary: There are some moments when the words of a child can make you feel a thousand times better. T for mild language.
1. Chapter 1

Natara quietly entered her six-year-old daughter's bedroom.

"Gina, wake up sweetie." The girl sleepily rolled over and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"'Morning, mommy," she murmured. "Where's daddy?"

"Daddy had to go on a... business trip."

The truth was, Natara had no idea where Oscar went. He had left late in the night after they had another arguement. She instinctively looked down at the engagement and wedding ring on her left hand. "He didn't tell me when he was going to be home. We can call him tonight, though. Now get up, the bus will be coming in forty-five minutes. Is cereal good for breakfast?"

Gina nodded and Natara went downstairs to prepare breakfast. Ten minutes later, the girl followed in a tee shirt and shorts. She quickly ate her breakfast and went back up the stairs to brush her teeth.

"Mommy!" Gina called down from her bedroom. "Will you braid my hair?"

Natara eyed the clock and noticed that they still had a good fifteen minutes left. "Sure, bring down your hairbrush and a hair tie." The child emerged from her bedroom a few seconds later and bounded down the stairs. She sat down on her mother's lap and Natara began to braid her shoulder-length dark hair.

"Tell me a story, mommy?"

"What story would you like to hear?"

"Tell the story of how daddy married you!" She smiled with delight.

"Well... Okay," said Natara, biting her lip. "One day was a very long day for me at work. I was running around and chasing bad guys all day long. I was really tired, but daddy had a nice dinner planned for us. I felt really bad, but I cancelled it. He told me that he just couldn't wait much longer, so he got down on one knee and gave me this ring." She showed Gina her engagement ring, a medium-sized diamond with two smaller diamonds on either side.

"That's so pretty! When I grow up, I want a ring as pretty as that!"

Natara smiled. "I'm sure you'll get one even prettier. Now, come on, we have to get to the bus stop."

-CoD-

Natara picked Gina up from school at three-thirty. After they were both settled in the car, she asked, "Mommy, can we call daddy?"

Natara thought for a second. "Sure, I don't see why not." She dialed Oscar's number in her cell phone. "Okay," she said, handing her daughter the phone. "When you're ready to talk, press the green button. He should say hello in a couple of seconds. That is, if he decides to actually pick up this time," she added under her breath.

After a few moments, she heard Gina start talking. "Hi daddy!" She paused, listening. "Okay! Mommy, how do you put the phone on speaker?" She took the phone and turned on the speaker phone.

"Hey, Nat."

"Hello, Oscar."

"Hi, daddy!" shouted Gina.

"Hi, dear. How was school?"

"Good! Daddy, when are you coming home from your business trip? I miss you!"

"I miss you, too. I don't know when I'm coming back, though. I have to talk to Nat- I mean, mommy, about some things before I come home." Natara raised an eyebrow but didn't question it with Gina within earshot.

"Mommy misses you, too!" Gina grinned and Natara bit her lip.

"Oh, does she? Well, I miss you both. I have to go, but I promise I'll call back tonight before you fall asleep, okay, Gina?"

"'Kay, daddy! Love you!"

"Love you, too, dear. Love you, Nat."

"Bye Oscar," she said. Noticing the expression on her daughter's face, Natara quickly added, "Love you." Then, he hung up.

-CoD-

Later that night, Natara tucked her daughter in bed. "Good night, Gina."

"Mommy," said the girl with watery eyes. "I can't go to bed yet. Daddy promised he'd call before I fell asleep. I have to wait."

Seeing the look on Gina's face, her expression softened. "I know, sweetie. If you go to sleep, I promise we'll call him first thing in the morning."

She sleepily nodded and yawned. "Promise?"

"Promise." Natara kissed her daughter on the cheek and turned off the light. "I love you."

"Love you, too." In a few minutes, Gina was sound asleep and Natara left the room.

Seeing her daughter cry over her husband was devastating. She picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello, Oscar Santos speaking."

"Cut it, Oscar. Can you explain why you promised your daughter that you'd call her and then just blew it off completely?"

"I forgot. I'm sorry," he said blankly. Natara rolled her eyes.

"She's your daughter, too. I'd appreciate it if you were here for her. But I know, that's almost impossible for you. Oscar Santos, Acting District Attorney, the supposedly best lawyer in the city can't even pick up the goddamn phone and call his six year old daughter."

"I said I'm sorry, Nat. What else do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. Maybe you could tell me where you're going before you disappear? Maybe you could call me for once? But I know, you're busy. Busy with what, exactly? Because I don't think it's always work."

Oscar was silent.

"I gave up everything for you and Gina. I had an amazing job, great friends, I was _happy._ I don't have any of that anymore. Now, I don't even have a husband to support me?"

"I will always be there for you. Always."

"Really? Because you have an odd way of showing it. You're not here for me now. Right now, I just found out some of the biggest news in the world. You should be by my side." After another moment of silence, Natara got too frustrated. "What do you want to say? because I have to tell you something, too."

"We'll both say it at the same time." She rolled her eyes.

"Are you seriously going to be so childish?"

"Yeah, actually, I am. On three." Natara sighed and knew she wasn't going to change his mind.

"One... Two... Three."

"I want a divorce."

"I'm pregnant."

**Review and tell me if you want Oscar to suffer!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, thank you so much for all the reviews! By your requests, Oscar will suffer... soon. Review?**

The air was tense in the Santos household. The sun rose in the morning and fell at night, but it was entirely different with the absense of a hug and kiss after waking up and before falling asleep. Gina didn't notice a change, or if she did, she was very good at hiding it. In her world, mommy and daddy were as happy and in love as they were two years ago.

Oh, how she was wrong.

At least her parents were decent enough to wait for her to fall asleep or go to school before fighting. Every day, someone would start yelling, then the other would argue back. Always continuing at it, until a winner was clear. However, they were both smart and persistent, neither wanting to lose.

"I bet the child isn't even mine!" Oscar yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

"Please. I don't disappear for days on 'business.' Oh, wait, that's because I don't have a job after you made me quit mine to watch your daughter!"

"So she's _my _daughter, now?"

"I know, I shouldn't even be saying that much of you."

"You're a bitch, Natara. I'm done with this." He took off his wedding ring and slammed it on the table. "I have the papers right here. I thought we could mke this work, for Gina and for the baby. I guess not. I've already signed them. Your turn." He shoved the divorce papers across the table.

Natara smirked. "I don't know, Oscar. I don't really feel like signing anything today."

"Damn it, Nat, sign the papers or I'll forge your signature myself."

"Don't call me Nat. You do that, forge a signature. I still have a good friend from my old job that would love to arrest you. And possibly punch you in the face."

"I'm shaking." He signed Natara's name with a smirk. "I honestly don't care what you do to me. I'm leaving. See you in court. Oh, and by the way?" he said as he stood up. "I'll be taking Gina with me."

-CoD-

Natara walked into the precinct for the first time in over six years. It still looked the same, with its green tiles and fake potted plants. She looked around and smiled slightly, noticing that her ex-partner had been promoted to captain. She knocked lightly on his door and entered when she heard him say, "come in."

He was working at his desk, writing something in a case file. He looked up as Natara clicked the door shut. "Hey, Mal."

"Oh my god, Natara!" He jumped up and hugged her. She let herself sink into his arms as she hugged him back.

"Mal, I missed you so much. More than you could ever know." A teardrop rolled down her cheek as they pulled away. He tilted her chin up and looked her in the eye.

"Nat, tell me everything. I'll tell you whatever you want to hear, but I want to know every single thing. Tell me the story." They both sat down.

"Okay. Okay." Natara wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, you know the beginning. Oscar and I got married. It seemed perfect. Then, I found out I was pregnant. I took a leave of absense, for mine and the baby's safety. Oscar wanted me to stop working. Safety and all that. I don't know why I said yes. I think it was because I was just so in love, or so I thought.

"Then, he started leaving for days on end. 'Business.' I called him out on it, and after that, it seemed like we were always fighting. Last night," said Natara, drawing in a breath. "He asked for a divorce. He's taking Gina."

"Nat. Look at me. You're going to be okay. You deserve someone a thousand times better than him."

"Mal... Thanks." She stared down at her hands.

"Anything for you. I'm always here for you, Natara." The room was quiet for a bit, something Natara was grateful for. She sighed softly.

"So, what's been going on here since I left?"

Mal smiled slightly. "Well, a lot's changed. It was six years, after all. Remember when Blaise and Jeremy revealed that they were dating? They're engaged now. The wedding was going to be small, only their families. Then, Jeremy got shot in the leg and they called it off for the time being. Amy came back about eight months after you resigned. She seems really happy. She's dating Kai. That was the only thing that seriously shocked me. He's no less weird, still. I got promoted three years back after Anders finally got shipped off."

"Congratulations," she said, smiling. To her, it was amazing how muc everything had changed.

"Thanks." He paused, looking like he wanted to say something.

"What are you thinking, Mal?"

"It's nothing, really-"

Natara cut him off. "You said you'd tell me anything I wanted to hear. What were you going to say?"

"Okay, you win... I was really pissed when you left. It was like I was greiving, but you were still alive. I was so angry at everyone. I almost beat Kai up. Twice." Natara giggled. "Mostly, though, I was mad that you just _left. _You were the best partner and friend I'd ever had. You didn't call, you didn't text or email, I barely even heard from you."

"I'm so sorry. You have no idea, Mal. I was just so busy..." She trailed off. "Dammit, that's not an excuse... I didn't want to face it. I left and it was devastating for me. I didn't want to see the reaction from everyone else, too."

"It's okay. I completely understand." He took her hand and stood up. "Do you want to go see everyone? Feeling up to it?"

"...You know what? Yeah. That'd be great." They walked out of Mal's office and he guided her to the crime lab, where Kai, Amy, Jeremy and Blaise were standing over a computer.

"Hey, guys, look who's here." Everyone looked up almost simultaneously.

"Oh my god, Natara!" Amy hugged her.

"Hey, Ames. Its great to see you again." She smiled at her friend.

"Its about time you showed your face around here! What took so long?" Blaise joked and hugged Natara, something seemingly out of character for her.

"Hey Natara," said Jeremy. "We all missed you."

"_Agent Hottie!_" Kai practically screamed. "Oh my gosh, this moment is exactly how I imagined it in my fanfic!"

"Well... I guess it's good to see you, too." Natara grinned. "Well, I'll leave you all to work." Everyone nodded and went back to the computer with smiles on their faces. She turned back to Mal. "Thank you."

"Any time."

"Can we talk some more?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Back in Mal's office, Natara didn't bother to sit.

"Mal, I need a favor. A huge one."

**Review again? And tell me how you'd like Oscar to get his butt kicked next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Gosh, I'm so sorry it took so long to get this up! I had my phone taken away while I was writing this and got it back Friday. Then, I left for vacation on Friday until Sunday. Next chapter wil be up much sooner. Hope you like, please review!**

"Mal, I need a favor. A huge one." She nervously tapped her fingers on the desk and glanced around the room.

"Anything." He took her hand.

Natara took in a deep breath. "I need to stay with you for a bit."

"Absolutely. If you don't mind me asking, why now?" Mal chose his words carefully as to not upset her.

"I can't go back, Mal. He's too angry. He... He..." She started shaking, genuinely scared. It was out of character for her.

"Nat. Look at me. We're completely safe here. You don't have to tell me anything at all. I promise, it's going to be okay." He stroked the back of her hand soothingly with his thumb.

"He hit me, Mal," she said in a quiet voice.

"That son of a bitch," he said under his breath. "Listen to me. I will help you however you need. You can stay with me. If you want, I'll go kick his ass for you."

"Thanks. A lot." She rubbed at her eyes. "Can we get to your place now?"

"Yeah. Let's go." They stood up and Mal gathered some files. Fifteen minutes later, he was turing the key in his front door. The house was small, but still nice. Not that Natara was complaining. She was amazed that he agreed to her offer after six years without contact. After the car ride, she had regained her composture and was calm.

"Kate!" Mal called out. "I'm home."

"Just a minute!" The voice came from the top of the stairs. After a few seconds, a young woman came down the stairs. She was pretty, with dark reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. She kissed Mal on the cheek. "Welcome home. Who's this?" She asked, nodding at Natara.

"Kate, this is Natara Williams. She was my old partner from a few years ago." Kate smiled at Natara.

"Hi, I'm Kate Ellis. Mal's girlfriend."

"Natara. Nice to meet you."

"You, too."

"She's going to be staying with us for a bit. I figured that would be okay with you, right?"

"Of course! Make yourself at home." She smiled politely but shot Mal a look that clearly said, 'tell me later.'

"Thank you."

-CoD-

Later that night, after Natara had went to bed, Mal and Kate sat together on the living room couch. "Okay, so, what's up with Natara?"

Mal sighed. "Long story short, she was married to a douche."

"Was?"

"Well, I guess technically, she still is. The haven't done all the boring divorce court crap yet, but she said she couldn't take it anymore. The bastard hit her."

Kate shook her head. "Some people really suck."

"It gets worse. They have a kid."

Kate sighed. "Damn. That's the worst, being caught in a divorce as a kid. I watched my best friend go through it."

"Yeah, I feel bad for the girl. Nat's really broken up about it. She never cries. But this morning, talking in my office, she was crying and shaking. It was insane."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, I'm going to let Natara stay here as long as she needs, for one. Help her get though it all. I think that the not talking, the bottling it all up insde, that's what's going to destroy her."

"Wow, that was actually somewhat deep, Mal. I'm impressed," Kate joked. "But I agree with you. She just needs someone to talk to. Let it all out."

"For example, you."

"Me? She just met me today."

"Yeah, but you'll always be here. And, she knows me, so that probably makes it harder for her to talk about it."

"That is a good point. Okay. We'll start on it tomorrow." Kate rested her head on Mal's shoulder for a moment longer before going up the stairs to sleep.

-CoD-

Natara woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She sleepily rolled over in the guest bed and picked up her cell phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, mommy!" Gina exclaimed. Natara could hear the happiness in her daughter's voice.

"Morning, Gina." Natara smiled. "How are you?"

"Good!"

"Did you call me all by yourself?"

"No! Daddy's friend helped me!" Natara frowned.

"Gina, who's daddy's friend?"

"Umm," she paused, thinking. "I forget their names. He left with a girl yesterday, right after I came home from school! She was really pretty! And there's a guy here watching me, too, but he's not as pretty as the girl. He said to call you and say hi! I miss you!"

"I miss you, too," she said, only half listening. It was probably just the girl who Oscar was seeing while he was on his business trips. "I promise I'll come home and see you soon. Did daddy tell you why I'm not here with you right now?"

"Yeah! It's because you have to go back to work, right?"

Natara sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Listen, I have to go, okay? I love you so much."

"Love you, mommy! Bye!

"Bye." Natara hung up with a sigh. Her daughter was still so innocent, but she would eventualy need to know the truth. Natara, though, wondered if Gina was concerned that her dad had just left. Pushing the thought away, she picked up the remote and turned on the television.

"Oh god, oh god... M-Mal..." Natara barely whispered the word before the floor beneath her shifted to an entirely wrong angle and the world went black.

**What do you think happened? Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! I'm really sorry about the wait for this chapter again. I don't know how many of you are on Tumblr, but if you are, you probably saw my post saying this. My phone (which I write all my stories on) decided to break so I had to reset it. I lost all my data, apps, contacts, everything. So I had to rewrite this and I sadly lost some of my works in progress. **

**I didn't realize at the time, but I think last chapter was misleading. So, to avoid any spoilers, there is an explanation of the last chapter and this one at the end of the story. Don't skip ahead, there's spoilers in there.**

Mal was just about to walk out the door when he heard his girlfriend's urgent yell.

"Mal! Come up here now, Natara passed out!" Mal ran as fast as he could up the staircase to find Kate kneeling on the ground.

"Kate, go call an ambulence," he said as he dropped to the ground to help Natara. He immediately reached for her wrist, feeling for a pulse, sighing in relief when one was there. He noticed the news on the TV and quickly guessed why Natara had fainted. Shock.

_"The San Francisco Police Department is putting out a missing person report for District Attorney Oscar Santos. He was reported missing earlier this morning by his girlfriend, Ellie Clayton, who was alarmed when he didn't show up for breakfast."_

Mal tuned out the newscaster's description of Oscar and returned his attention to Natara. She was still breathing, thankfully. There was a gash on her forehead from where she hit her head against something, probably the dresser. The cut wasn't very big or deep, probably only an inch long.

For the first time in a long time, Mal was comforted by the sound of sirens. He took his ex-partner's hand. "C'mon, Nat, stay with me. The ambulance is going to be here soon."

-CoD-

"Mal Fallon?" He looked up to see a young doctor calling him.

"That's us." Mal and Kate walked over to the doctor, who led them to a private office. "Is she okay?"

"Miss Williams is going to be perfectly fine. The baby's going to be okay as well," the doctor assured.

"Wait, what? Nat's not pregnant, she would've told me..." He trailed off.

"She's only about six weeks along. She probably only recently found out herself."

"Yeah, that makes sense," murmured Kate.

"I don't really know how to say this, but Miss Williams also had bruising around her arms, wrists, and a nasty one on her cheek. All over a week old, all covered by makeup. I would say she has been through a hell of a lot. Most likely, she was a victim of domestic abuse for a couple of months, possibly a year."

Mal and Kate shared a glance. "Thank you," said Mal. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"Just, be careful what you say. She's in room 6B." Kate and Mal thanked the doctor and started down the hall to Natara's room. Mal knocked on the door.

"Come in," Natara said, her voice quiet. The two slowly entered the room and shut the door.

"Are you okay?"

"You mean besides the fact that I'm laying in a hospital bed while my daughter is home alone with some random guy and my ex is missing? I'm just peachy," she said sarcastically. "Mal, you have to find him. I hate him but if he dies I won't be able to take it." He nodded, knowing the feeling from his own ex-wife.

"You have my word. I'll find him, Nat. Promise. We have Gina at the station now, along with the man staying with her. He hasn't talked yet."

Natara was silent for a moment. "Can you put her on the phone? Please." Mal nodded and a minute later, his cell phone was in her hand.

"Hi, mommy. Are you feeling okay? 'Cause Mr. Kai said you got hit by a ninja and you were in the doctor's office!" Despite the pain and sadness Natara was in, she smiled. Sometimes, the words of a child could make you feel a lot better.

"That's about what happened. I'll tell you the story later, if you want."

"Yay! Mommy, I want to go home. The police came home! They said I had to go to the statue for a few days."

"You mean the station?"

The girl giggled. "Yeah, that's what I meant! Hehe, statue." She continued to laugh at her mistake and Natara grinned. "They put me with these two people, Mr. Kai and Miss Amy! Miss Amy's nice and pretty but Mr. Kai's a little weird!"

Natara burst out laughing. Mal smiled at her laugh, something he hadn't heard in a while. "Are you being good for them?"

"Uh huh!"

"Good girl. Well, I'm gonna see you soon, okay?" She looked at Mal, who nodded.

"'Kay! Bye!"

"Bye. I love you."

"Love you, too!" She hung up and sighed with relief, knowing her daughter was safe. She gave the phone back to Mal and instinctively rested her hand on her still flat stomach.

"Congratulations, by the way," said Kate, nodding at Natara's stomach.

"...What?" Natara bit her lip, hoping that they didn't know.

"You know, the baby." Yep, they knew. Natara sighed.

"Thanks. Good timing, huh?" She laughed without humor. Mal and Kate looked at each other, not sure what to say. Because, really, what do you say to that? "Can we leave?"

"Yeah." He looked like he wanted to say something else but decided against it. "I'll drive you to the station."

-CoD-

"So, this is the person who's probably helping the kidnapper of my husband." Natara glared through the one way glass of the interrogation room at the man. He was average, not somebody you'd notice, but at the same time, he had a certain look about him that made you able to trust him, even if you had just met him. He was calm, with his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips, which made Natara even more angry than she already was.

"His name is Josh Wilk." Mal spoke with an air of sadness. "He has no record, he's not in the system, he seems perfectly normal like most of the citizens in San Francisco."

"I want to interrogate him."

**Summary:**

**Natara was called by her daughter, Gina, who said that she was home alone with a man that said he was a friend of Oscar's. Natara then turned on the news, where it said that Oscar was kidnapped. She passed out from shock. She called for Mal because she wanted him to see the story but couldn't say it fast enough. Mal's fine, so is the baby.**

**Review? And happy Shark Week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I rewrote this about twenty times. You better love it.**

"I want to interrogate him." Natara turned to Mal and looked into his eyes. "Please."

"I don't know... It's been six years since you've last done this and now you want to talk to the man possibly helping your soon-to-be ex's kidnapper..." He took her hand. "Can you do this?"

"I think you know better than anyone else that I can. Or at least, you _should _know that," said Natara. A sad smile played on his lips.

"Yeah, I do. You know, we lost a hell of an agent the day you left. Everyone seemed to know that but you."

"I really don't want to talk about this right now."

"We'll talk about it later. About everything. I think you know what I mean."

"I... Yeah. I do." With that, she walked off and took a deep breath before she entered the interrogation room.

"I would normally say good morning to the people I meet, but I don't really like you so far, Mr. Wilk. do you know who I am?"

"I can't say I do, but I'd love to know a woman as beautiful as yourself." Natara could tell he was lying behind his charming smile. "And, you can call me Josh."

"Well, Josh, different people know me as different things. I'm a mother, an ex-wife, a sister, and a daughter. Some know me as Natara Mansingh. As of about six years ago, most people know me as Natara Santos. Now, I'm former FBI Agent Natara Williams. I'm the mother of the girl you were 'babysitting'."

"I think I'll call you 'Nat.' That's what I heard someone call you on my way here." He smirked.

Natara slammed her hand on the table. Josh seemed unfazed. "I don't care what you call me, I just want to know what happened to my ex."

"Isn't your ex DA Oscar Santos? I'm just assuming because of your last name. He's all over the news. He was kidnapped, right?"

"Why don't you tell me, considering you're working with the kidnapper?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His cool demeanor made Natara angrier.

"Listen, you son of a bitch. I have a daughter and I would do absolutely anything for her. I'll bet that you've never felt that way about anything and you never will. All I want is the best for her. I'll ask you again. Did you or did you not kidnap Oscar Santos?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Everything about him made Natara tick. His face, his hair, his attitude

Before Josh even knew what was coming, her fist had collided with the side of his face. He fell onto the ground.

"Where is he?" She hit him again. When he didn't answer, he was hit again.

Natara had kept so much frustration inside. She locked it away, but it seemed like it was all coming out with each punch. Her mind barely comprehended what she was doing until she was pulled off of Josh by two bigger people.

"What did you do to him!? _What?"_ she yelled with tears in her eyes. Natara calmed herself down and the two people, who she realized were Mal and Jeremy, let her down. She pushed past them and left the interrogation room.

-CoD-

Mal ran to follow Natara. She sat down on a bench in front of the precinct and he made sure to stay a distance away from her. He could see her shoulders shaking as she cried silently. He slowly made his way over to Natara and sat down next to her. He drew her into a hug and she cried into his shoulder.

"I-I don't know what to do, Mal," she said quietly between sobs. "He's gone, there's no way to find him, a-and..." She paused. "I can't do this. I can't."

"It's okay. It's okay," he whispered as he gently stroked her dark hair.

"It's not, Mal. I hit him."

"Hey. Look at me." He tilted her chin up. "Everything's going to be fine. It'll work out in the end, you'll see. I promise."

"Thank you," she whispered. She stood up and wiped her eyes. Mal stood up, too. "I'm sorry."

"Its okay." He took her hand. "Your daughter can come home with us tonight, okay?"

"Thanks, Mal." Natara hugged him once more and then they went back inside the precinct.

The first thing Natara did was go over to Gina in the crime lab. She hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hi, mommy."

"Hi, Gina."

"Mommy, I like it here! Mr. Kai is really funny and has funny stories and fun games on his computer! He made me, come look!" The energetic girl pulled Natara over to a laptop playing a Sims game, and sure enough, there was a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes staring back. She smiled.

"Very cool. So, were you good for Kai and Amy?"

"Yeah! He gave me like three cookies!" She giggled, pointing at Kai.

"Hey!" Kai cried. "That was supposed to be a secret." Natara smiled, shaking her head.

"Oh, yeah! It's a secret, so shh!" said Gina, placing a finger over her lips.

"Okay. I won't tell anyone. You go play, I'm going to talk to Amy, alright?"

"Yeah!"

Natara smiled again and walked over to where Amy was working. "Hey, Amy."

She looked up. "Oh, hi, Natara! I have good news! Can you go get Mal for me, please?" She nodded, and five minutes later, Mal was standing in front of the computer.

"Okay, guys. There's bad and good news. The good news is that I have a software that can track Oscar's cell phone if it's online. The bad news is that the cell phone has been turned off. I can keep an eye on it and I'll call you guys if it comes online."

"Thanks, Ames. It means a lot."

"No problem!"

Natara went over to Gina, who was playing as herself on Kai's computer. From what Natara could understand, though, she wasn't doing too well, considering that the house was on fire. "Gina? We're going to go to Mal's house for a bit... Like a sleepover."

"Mal?" Gina looked up into his face, scrutinizing it. "Oh, I remember you! You came and took the weirdo babysitter! I have a babysitter sometimes, for when mommy and daddy go out. Her name's Neha! She's also my aunt! She's really cool and pretty, not like the weird guy! Hi, Mal! My name's Gina!" Mal grinned.

"Hi, Gina. I think you'll like my friend, Kate. She's back at the house. Are you ready to leave?" She nodded.

-CoD-

A few hours later Gina was playing a game with Kate. Natara was watching from the door frame when she was tapped on the shoulder by Mal.

"Ready to talk some more?" She sighed and nodded, following him to the kitchen. They sat at the table.

"So, Mal. Time to talk."

**I leave you with a cliffhanger! Well, sort of, if you're interested in what Mal and Natara are going to talk about. **

**A good reader reviews.**

**Just saying.**


	6. Chapter 6

_It's dark out, even though it's already eight o'clock on a summer morning. There are gray clouds in the sky, threatening to pour down rain at any moment. It's just one of those days where you feel like sleeping until ten and then curling up on the couch with a book while you listen to the rain. However, not everyone has that luxury. Natara Williams and Mal Fallon are two of those people._

_She steps through the precint doors at exactly eight like she usually does. It feels different this time, though, knowing that this will probably be the last morning she will enter this building. _

_She steps into the captain's office without knocking. She is tired and upset, two emotions that don't usually work well together. She hands him the papers that have been sitting, completed, on her dresser at home for almost a month. She knows she doesn't have to do this, and that makes it more painful, in a way. But she knows that she should, for her family, and maybe that makes it okay. Or maybe it doesn't. _

_She gathers her things from her office and puts them in a box. It feels like she's moving out, which, in a way, she is. Maybe she should be more emotional, but she's not. Putting the lid on the box, she smiles slightly, because she knows she'll be able to tell anyone who asks that the box is just full of case files. She has it all planned out, her escape. Well, maybe it shouldn't be called an escape. That makes it sound like it was her choice to leave._

_He wakes up late, mumbling a curse under his breath. He quickly showers and brushes his teeth while his coffee is brewing in the next room. He might actually make it to work on time, if he moves fast enough. He curses the stupid alarm clock as he runs out the door._

_She knows that Mal could walk in at any moment, and that makes her rush. She feels like she's racing against the clock, which is ridiculous. She'll do whatever it takes, though, to avoid saying goodbye to her best friend. It would be too painful for her, even though she knows that her leaving without even saying goodbye will probably kill him inside. She's just selfish, she decides, as she puts the last of her things inside the box. At the top, a picture frame holds a photo of her and Mal, both of them smiling. Her in her princess costume and him in his vampire one. Shaking her head at the memory, she replaces the lid of the box and picks it up. _

_There's little traffic as he drives down the familiar road to the precinct, which is surprising, considering it's almost eight thirty on a Tuesday. He knows Natara is already there and he wonders what she's doing. Suddenly, the rain picks up and he scowls, slowing down. His nice black car didn't do so well in the rain._

_She looks out the window one last time and sighs as she sees that it's starting to pour. The gray sky was usually a cheery blue in the morning. She would stare at it when she didn't want to do any more paperwork. She wouldn't miss the paperwork, at least. Or maybe she would. It seemed like there were too many "maybe's". She couldn't bring herself to make a solid decision. Picking up the box, she walks out of the San Francisco Police Department for the last time as a Special Agent._

_He's barely made it out of his car when he notices the front door to the precinct open. Natara steps out, carrying a box. He runs to help her but she declines. He thinks he notices her face fall slightly as she sees him, but he shakes it off. He still hasn't completely woken up yet and his eyes are probably tricking him. It's raining lighter, now, but he still tries to make the conversation quick so they both don't go in to work completely drenched._

_"Hey," he says. "Where are you going?"_

_"Oh, um..." She wasn't prepared for this question. "Home?" She says, but it sounds more like a question. "I don't feel well." It wasn't even completely a lie._

_"I'll drive you home, if you want."_

_"No, I'm fine, thanks."_

_"You sure? You don't even want help carrying that box?" He's getting slightly suspicious by now. She never usually denies a ride home with him. "What's even in there?"_

_"Just files," she says, reassured because she knows this answer._

_"Do we have a new case? What are the files on?"_

_..._Shit, _she thinks as she searches her mind for an excuse, but can't find one. "Um, no, but... Uh..." She scrambles for words but can't find any._

_"Just tell me, Natara." He uses her full name and she can tell he's getting angry._

_"You'll hate me," she whispers, but he doesn't hear. "I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'll miss you the most."_

_"What?" He's confused, his mind not putting together the pieces._

_"Mal..." She hesitates for a brief moment before lightly pressing her lips to his. _

_"What was that for?" he says, stunned._

_"I wanted to see how it felt," she whispers, not loud enough for him to hear. "Goodbye, Mal." _

_She turns on her heel and leaves. Getting into her car, Natara Williams feels nothing. She feels empty._

_Standing on the top step of the precinct, Mal Fallon doesn't know what to think. He just stands there with a sad puppy-dog expression and lets the rain fall onto him. _

**So. That was, well, kind of depressing. But I liked it, so I hope you all did. There's MALTARA, you better have liked it.**

**In other news, I start school TOMORROW! D: I bet that sentence right there was more depressing than my whole chapter. But I'm ready, I guess... :s**

**So, this chapter was just them kind of talking it all out, but in FLASHBACK FORM! **

**Also, readers, I leave next chapter up to you! Would you like to see their reactions to the flashback, or should I just get on with the plot? Or something else? Tell me in a review! Loved it? Hated it? Tell me in a review! And yes, I'm talking to you, reader who's about to click out of this story without reviewing. I see you being a silent reader over there. Stop it. **

**Please review!**

**(Can you tell I want you to review? 'Cause I do.)**


	7. Chapter 7

**The suspense is killing me. Next week is going to be so flipping awesome. The new CoD looks awesome, the new White Collar episode looks awesome, and I start band for school on Wednesday. The awesomeness is too much. **

**Just to clarify, last chapter was what Mal and Natara were talking about. They were explaining everything to each other, but I put it in flashback form to make it easier to understand.**

**I hope you like this chapter and please review!**

It was silent for a while, with the exception of the quiet sounds of Kate and Gina in the next room. They both needed a moment to absorb everything between them. Natara was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would hurt you so much to leave without saying goodbye. I thought it would be better for you-"

"It was better for _you_," Mal snapped. "Not me, and you know that."

"I was selfish. I didn't even say why I was leaving, let alone a goodbye."

"Didn't you realize that I loved you?" The hurt and sadness was clear in his eyes, even though his face was blank.

She was silent.

"I loved you. More than you even knew. On the day of your wedding, it took every part of me not to stand up and object. I knew you weren't happy with him. When you left, I was just _so..._ I don't know. It was like you died. I didn't go to work for days, I just sat at home all day doing nothing.

"But after a while, I got over it. It was hard, but I got up and got back to work. I was promoted to captain. Amy came back. I met Kate. Life was good. I was happy. That was when I realized that I didn't need you. I guess that made it better. I stopped blaming myself for letting you go."

Natara didn't say anything. She couldn't, really. What do you say to that?

When Mal saw that she wasn't going to say anything, he continued. "Then you came back. I saw you again. It should've made me happier or something, but it didn't. It just felt normal. That's how I realized something."

"You dont love me anymore," she finished. He sighed and nodded slightly. "It's okay, you know. You have Kate. I left you for Oscar. I'll get it right eventually. Love." Mal nodded. "I'm going to go upstairs. Take a nap or something." She didn't wait for a response before she went upstairs.

In the guest bedroom, she pulled her knees up to her chest. She meant every word she said. It wasn't even that surprising for her. He didn't love her and honestly, even though she loved him, she would be okay.

-CoD-

Oscar opened his eyes, and, to his dismay, the room was the same as it was before he fell asleep. His hands were still tied behind his back and his feet were bound to the legs of the chair. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling, casting a dim glow across the room. As far as he could tell, the only way out was a door that he knew was being guarded.

He sighed as a memory came back to him, the memory of his capture.

_The doorbell rang, and Oscar glanced over at his daughter, who was watching some tv show, before answering. There were two people, a man who looked to be about twenty, and a woman, who looked slightly older. He didn't recognize either of them. _

_The woman leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Let us in or I'll kill you and your daugter. He's the 'babysitter.' Act natural." He slowly turned away to face Gina._

_"Gina?" He called. "I'm going to go with a friend of mine somewhere. This is... Uh..."_

_"It's Peter," hissed the man._

_"This is Peter, he's going to watch you while I'm gone, okay?"_

_"Yeah!" she shouted back. _

_He turned to the man. "I'll do whatever you want, but if you _touch _her, I'll kill you."_

_"Sounds good," said the man with a bit more happieness than Oscar liked. _

_"Come on, we're taking too long," said the woman impaitently. She yanked Oscar by the arm and wrapped her arm around his waist. "If any one asks, we're dating."_

_"I think that if we're dating, I should at least know your name."_

_She paused, thinking. "Alex. It's Alex."_

Oscar didn't trust her, obviously. But he had no idea it would end up like this. He could still feel his wrists burning from earlier when he had tried to get out of the restraints.

Suddenly, the door opened. His eyes lit up, but he sighed when he realized that it was only Alex. "What?" he snapped.

"My partner's been taken in to custody. Call your wife, or ex wife, or whatever the hell she is, and tell her to let him go."

"And why would I do that?" Within a second, her hand had connected with his face.

"That's why."

"I think you're forgetting something," Oscar said, waving his arms as much as he could. Alex scowled as she untied his wrists and placed his cell phone in his hand.

"Call her. _Now._"

-CoD-

Natara went down the stairs. She had barely set foot in the kitchen before the phone started to ring.

"Hey, could you get that, Natara?" Kate yelled from the other room.

"Sure." She picked up the phone, not checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"It's Amy. We have a lead."

**It's a bit shorter than some of the past chapters, but oh well. Review?**


	8. Chapter 8

After some frantic conversation, Natara and Mal were in the car on the way to the precinct. A tense and somewhat awkward silence hung in the air between the two. The previous conversation was not forgotten.

After what seemed like hours, Mal and Natara burst through the lab doors. "Okay, what are the details?" Mal asked.

"His phone has been on for around six minutes. We don't know why he would turn it on now. We won't be able to pinpoint his exact location unless we can get him on the phone for at least two minutes. Just keep-" Amy was interrupted by Natara's cell phone.

"It's him." She answered the call and set the phone on speaker. "Hello, this is Natara Williams speaking."

"Hi, Nat, it's Oscar."

"Hey, Oscar."

"I don't have much time. I just wanted to let you know that I'm fine. I don't know when I will be home, but I will probably be back before Wednesday."

"Are you sure? Because your girlfriend did call in."

"Oh, she's a just bit overly attached. I swear, I miss one date and she calls the police. Oh, and did I tell you about the _babysitter _I found for Gina? I forget his name, but, — I assume you're working with the police to investigate my so called 'kidnapping,' — if you brought him in or something, well, that's obviously a mistake," Oscar said.

He sounded fake and scripted, which was probably to be expected, but she could hear the slight sarcasm in his voice, which was enough for her to know he was lying. Natara looked at Amy, who motioned to keep talking for a little bit more.

"Oh, is that so?

"Well, yeah, I mean, thats what I said, isn't it?" Amy motioned to talk more. Natara scrambled to think of something.

"Why did you marry me if you didn't love me?"

"Uh, what..?" he asked, seeming very taken aback by the question.

"I think you heard me."

He was silent. Mal nudged her and whispered, "If you want to take this off of speaker phone, you can." Natara shook her head.

Oscar finally spoke. "Natara... I don't know. I thought I loved you. I did love you."

"Then why did you cheat on me? Why did you hit me?" Amy's jaw dropped and she placed her hand over her mouth. Shaking her head she left the crime lab.

"God, why are we talking about this now?" he snapped. "I'm done talking." And with that, he hung up. Natara looked at Kai, who looked at his computer.

"One minute and fifty-two seconds," he said somberly. Natara bit her lip and stared down at the ground. "...Just kidding! It was actually two minutes and twelve seconds."

"You son of a bitch!" She yelled. "God, you're lucky you have something useful to say or else you wouldn't still be standing there right now."

"Oh... Sorry..." He looked like a puppy who had just been scolded. "Well, um, I guess I'll just pull up those results now..."

Natara sighed and decided to go check on Amy. Pushing open the heavy metal door to the lab, she immediately noticed her sitting on a bench with her head resting on her hands. "Hey," Natara said softly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Did he really..?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling sadly. "But I think its better the way it is now."

Amy sighed and stood up, as did Natara. "Thanks, Nat."

"Of course."

They both entered the lab once again, where Kai was pointing out directions on a screen. "Oh hey, you guys are back! I just wanted to say that I am sincerely sorry."

"It's fine, Kai," Natara said, deciding to just move on. "So where is he?"

"Okay so you follow this road to here..."

-CoD-

"Don't think I'm an idiot," snapped Alex after the call had disconnected. "I know they can trace phone calls."

"Well, you got one thing right, at least. The police will be here any moment."

"Exactly. But why should they get to find you unharmed? I think they deserve to see exactly how much you deserve to suffer." Oscar put on a brave face. It would all be over soon. "Nothing to say? That's alright." She flipped open a small pocketknife and pressed the blade against his cheek, slowly dragging it down the side of his face. He gritted his teeth, but didn't bother to struggle, or even scream.

"You won't get away with this."

She laughed mockingly, drawing the blade away from his face. "I already have." She dug the knife deep into his arm, and he cried out. "I'll be on the front of every single magazine and newspaper within a week. Every news channel will be telling my story. I already win." She smiled evilly. "But of course, I can't let you go without a little souvenir.."

She took his other arm, and he knew that he couldn't fight back. Slowly, painfully, Alex carved her name down his upper arm. "Now, you'll never forget me."

At that moment, the police burst down the door and charged in. Two men restrained Alex and searched her for any other weapons, while another untied Oscar's hands and feet.

He was lead to an ambulance who placed him on a stretcher and assessed his injuries. All three cuts would most likely scar, much to his dismay. His arms were both wrapped up and a bandage was placed over the cut on his forehead.

Oscar was allowed to see his family at the precinct, who looked relieved to see him. Well, at least Gina did. Natara just looked blank. He was greeted by a very enthusiastic hug from his daughter. He smiled, and knew that, despite the past few days, he would always at least have her.

-CoD-

Two months later, Natara and Oscar were officially divorced. He had full custody of Gina, and she had full custody of her unborn son. They had decided that each child would get to spend every other weekend with their other parent, but for the most part, their lives were all separate. it was for the best.

A bit more than a month after that, on August 4th, Natara's second child was born, who she named Tyler. He was the spitting image of his father, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes.

Around a year later, Natara smiled down at an invitation that had shown up in her mailbox.

_You are invited to the wedding of Kate Ellis and Malachi Fallon._

That December, Natara caught up to Mal at his wedding reception. "Hey," she said, smiling. He turned and the second he saw her, his face lit up.

"Hey, I'm glad you made it," he said, pulling her into a hug. "With the baby and all..."

"He's fine with Neha. He looks just like you, by the way."

His smile shifted into a look of confusion, just for a second, and then he understood. They didn't even need to say a word.

"I'm going to go talk to Kate. Congratulations." He nodded his thanks and hugged her once more.

She crossed the room to where Kate was standing. "Hey, congratulations, Kate," Natara said. She grinned and hugged her. She was wearing a simple white mermaid gown that suited her perfectly.

"Thanks so much for coming. Oh, have you met my friend Chris?" Natara turned to him and extended her hand.

"Hi, I'm Natara."

"Chris." They smiled at each other and started talking, while Kate went back over to her new husband. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he kissed her forehead. They stayed like that for a while, gently swaying to the music.

All was well.

**And so, Tell Me a Story comes to an end. Fun fact: This chapter is dedicated to the people who reviewed for past chapters because it included both Maltara and Oscar pain so I think I included pretty much everything you guys wanted haha!**

**PLEASE READ:**

**I'm trying something new. I love drawing as well as writing so if you want, you guys can send me a block of text describing something or someone, and I'll try and draw it for you. If you're interested, review/PM me with the text you want me to use and I'll let you know if I can make it or not.**

**I hope you all liked this story, and I'll hopefully have something new up soon. Thanks for reading and please review!**


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